WO2009116761A2

WO2009116761A2 - Vacuum pad device

Info

Publication number: WO2009116761A2
Application number: PCT/KR2009/001288
Authority: WO
Inventors: 조호영
Original assignee: 한국뉴매틱 주식회사
Priority date: 2008-03-17
Filing date: 2009-03-16
Publication date: 2009-09-24
Also published as: US20110001024A1; EP2261520A4; EP2261520A2; WO2009116761A3; US8267367B2; MY145208A; BRPI0906194A2; AU2009226307A1; AU2009226307B2; JP2011513669A; EP2261520B1; CN101978179A; KR100889638B1; JP5156844B2; CN101978179B

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vacuum pad device used in a vacuum transport system. The pad device includes a housing, a pad unit connected to the housing through a ball joint such that the pad unit is rotatable, and a piston arranged in the housing and controlling the rotation of the pad unit. The pad unit is bonded to an object at a desirable rotation angle, and controlled such that the rotation angle is fixed by the movement of a piston operating via compressed air. Consequently, the object can be transported in an accurate and safe manner. Preferably, the vacuum pad device of the present invention further includes a vacuum pump arranged in the housing using the piston.

Description

Vacuum pad device

The present invention relates to a vacuum pad device for use in a vacuum transfer system, and more particularly to a pad device that can correspond to the surface of the object at various angles by allowing the pad portion to rotate by using a ball joint.

The vacuum transfer system refers to a system for generating a negative pressure in the pad apparatus by using a vacuum pump acting as compressed air, and using the generated negative pressure to grasp an object, and then transfer it to a predetermined place.

The pad device used in the vacuum transfer system is typically composed of a rigid body connected to the suction port of the vacuum pump, and a flexible adhesive pad fixedly coupled to the end of the body. While the compressed air is passed through the vacuum pump, the air in the adhesive pad is attracted into the vacuum pump and is discharged to the outside together with the compressed air, whereby negative pressure is generated in the adhesive pad.

In this structure, since the adhesive pad is fixed linearly to the end of the body, the adhesive surface of the body and the adhesive pad is always in a vertical relationship. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to immediately correspond to the adhesive pad on the inclined surface of the object that is not perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the body.

There is a proposal to solve this problem, using a corrugated pipe or ball joint between the body and the adhesive pad.

In this structure, the adhesive pad is rotatably coupled to the end of the body via a corrugated pipe or ball joint. Therefore, the adhesive surface of the body and the adhesive pad is not limited to the vertical relationship, and can form various directions and angles.

That is, the adhesive pad is free to rotate by means of a corrugated pipe or a ball joint. Therefore, the adhesive pads can be immediately corresponded to and adhered to the inclined surface of the object, which is not perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the body. At this time, the adhesive pad is not linear to the body and is bent at a constant direction and angle.

However, the adhesive pad is rotated by the load of the object while lifting the object for transport after adhesion, thereby causing a problem that accurate and safe transport of the object is impossible.

For accurate application, installation, loading, etc. of the object, the state of the object before the transfer, including the direction, angle, placement, etc., needs to be maintained during and after the transfer. However, since the adhesive pad which is freely rotated eventually rotates the object during transportation, it cannot meet this need.

On the other hand, the rotational force is added to the load of the object, and the object may fall off from the adhesive pad.

The present invention is proposed to solve the above problems of the prior art. In other words, the object of the present invention is:

(1) Allow the adhesive pad to rotate freely,

(2) The angle of rotation can be maintained while lifting the object for transport after adhesion,

(3) enabling accurate and safer transport of objects;

It is to provide a vacuum pad device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum pad apparatus that can compactly design a vacuum system, including a vacuum pump.

The vacuum pad device of the present invention includes a housing, a pad portion rotatably coupled to the housing, and a piston embedded in the housing to control the rotation of the pad portion. Preferably, the vacuum pad device of the present invention further comprises a vacuum pump mounted in the housing by using the housing and the piston. More specifically, it is as follows.

The housing includes an inlet port and an outlet port formed at an upper and lower position on the side wall, a mounting hole formed at a lower side thereof, and a sealing cover provided at an upper side thereof. The pad unit includes a ball joint having a through hole formed in a longitudinal direction, and an adhesive pad coupled to an end of the ball joint. At this time, the ball portion of the ball joint (ball portion) is mounted in the mounting hole of the housing, the pad portion is rotatably coupled to the housing.

The piston includes a connection hole formed to communicate the discharge port and the through hole, and is in close contact with the inner wall of the housing. The piston flows by the compressed air supplied to the inlet port, so that the pad part is not arbitrarily rotated during object transfer. Preferably, the piston and the ball contact each other, and the piston flows to control the rotation of the pad by pressing the ball of the ball joint.

The vacuum pump is a rotationally symmetric type air pump in which one side is an air inlet and the other side is an air outlet and a through hole communicating with an external space is formed on a surface thereof. The vacuum pump may be mounted to the housing by forming an installation hole opposite the discharge port of the housing and fitting the air outlet side and the air inlet side to the discharge port and the installation hole, respectively. The through hole communicates with the connecting hole of the piston.

According to the pad apparatus of the present invention, the pad portion is adhered to the object at the required rotation angle. And the rotation angle is controlled to be fixed by the flow of the piston acting as compressed air. Therefore, accurate and safe transfer of the object is performed. In addition, the vacuum pad device of the present invention includes a vacuum pump, whereby the vacuum system can be compactly designed.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a vacuum pad device according to the present invention.

2 is a view for explaining the operation of the vacuum pad device of FIG.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of a vacuum pad apparatus according to the present invention.

4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a vacuum pump applied to FIG.

10,30: pad device 11: housing

12: pad portion 13: piston

14: inlet port 15: outlet port

16: mounting hole 17: cover

18: ball joint 19: through hole

20: adhesive pad 21: ball portion

22: connecting hole 31: vacuum pump

32: air inlet 33: air outlet

34: through 38: pin

Features and effects of the present invention described or not described above will become more apparent through the embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[Example (1)]

Referring to Fig. 1, the vacuum pad device of the present invention is indicated by reference numeral 10. The pad device 10 includes a housing 11, a pad part 12 rotatably coupled to the housing 11, and a piston 13 embedded in the housing 11 to control rotation of the pad part 12. ).

The housing 11 is a hollow shape having an upper side open, the inlet port 14 and the outlet port 15 are formed in the upper and lower positions on the side wall, the mounting hole 16 is formed in the lower portion. And the upper side is provided with a sealing cover 17.

The pad part 12 includes a ball joint 18 having a through hole 19 formed in a longitudinal direction, and an adhesive pad 20 coupled to an end of the ball joint 18. At this time, the ball portion 21 of the ball joint 18 is mounted in the mounting hole 16 of the housing 11, the pad portion 12 is rotatably coupled to the housing (11).

Preferably, the mounting hole 16 has a round surface that can be in surface contact with the ball portion 21 of the ball joint 18. As a result, the ball joint 18 is firmly and safely mounted and rotated in the mounting hole 16.

The piston 13 has a connection hole 22 therein for communicating the discharge port 15 and the through hole 19 therein. The piston 13 is arranged in close contact with the inner wall of the housing 11, and at this time, between the head surface of the piston 13 and the lid 17 there is a slight play ('t') for the flow of the piston 13. Is formed.

This piston 13 is in contact with the ball portion 21 of the ball joint 18 at the bottom. The ball flows downwardly by the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the inlet port 14 to pressurize the ball portion 21 of the ball joint 18. Due to the pressing force, the ball joint 18 and the pad portion 12 during object transfer. ) Is controlled so as not to rotate arbitrarily.

In this embodiment, the rotation of the ball joint 18 and the pad portion 12 is controlled by the piston 13 directly contacting the ball portion 21 of the ball joint 18 and pressurized by the flow of the piston 13. However, for example, it may be possible to apply a variety of control methods such as indirect contact pressure or electromagnetic brake method on the premise of the piston (13) flow.

Preferably, the piston 13 has a round groove 23 which is in surface contact with the ball portion 21 of the ball joint 18. Thereby, the ball joint 18 is pressed by the direct and large frictional resistance of the piston 13, and arbitrary rotation is suppressed extremely.

Referring to FIG. 2, in forming the vacuum system, a separate vacuum pump P is provided in addition to the pad device 10, and the discharge port 15 of the housing 11 is connected to the suction port of the vacuum pump P. It is connected in communication. Compressed air is supplied to the inlet port 14 of the vacuum pump P or the housing 11, and these supply paths are selectively measured by the solenoid valve device.

In the pad device 10 of the present invention, the pad part 12 rotates in principle. Therefore, assuming that the pad portion 12 is inclined at a constant direction and angle (rotation angle) from the housing 11, the operation of the pad apparatus 10 will be described when the object is transferred.

First, compressed air is discharged through the vacuum pump (P). At this time, the air in the adhesive pad 20 is drawn into the vacuum pump P through the through hole 19 and the connection hole 22 by high-speed compressed air, and discharged to the outside together with the compressed air. do. In this process, a vacuum is formed in the vacuum pump P, and a negative pressure is formed in the adhesive pad 20.

When the vacuum and the negative pressure of the level required for object transfer are reached, the compressed air is supplied to the inlet port 14 to pressurize the head surface of the piston 13. Then, while the piston 13 flows downward and presses the ball part 21 of the ball joint 18, a strong contact friction force is generated between the piston 13 and the ball joint 18. FIG.

In this state, the transfer of the object starts. As described above, since a strong friction force is generated between the piston 13 and the ball joint 18, the rotation angle between the housing 11 and the pad portion 12 before the transfer is in the middle of the transfer. May also be maintained. Therefore, accurate and safe transportation of the object is possible.

[Example (2)]

Referring to Fig. 3, the vacuum pad device of the present invention is denoted by 30. The pad device 30 further includes a vacuum pump 31 mounted using the housing and the piston of the above-described embodiment (1). Therefore, in FIG. 3, the same components as those in the embodiment (1) are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the same configuration and operation as those in the example (1) will not be described.

Referring to FIG. 4, the vacuum pump 31 is a rotationally symmetric type air pump in which one side is an air inlet 32 and the other side is an air outlet 33, and a plurality of through holes 34 are formed on the surface thereof to communicate with an external space. . As in a normal pump, the

nozzles

35, 36, 37, which are formed in series, are mounted inside. However, this type of pump is not special in the present invention.

Returning to FIG. 3, an installation hole is formed opposite the discharge port ('15' of FIG. 1) of the housing 11, and both ends of the vacuum pump 31, that is, the air inlet 32, are disposed in the discharge port and the installation hole. The vacuum pump 31 may be mounted to the housing 11 in such a manner that the side and the air outlet 33 are fitted therein. At this time, the through hole 34 of the vacuum pump 31 communicates with the connection hole 22 of the piston 13.

First, compressed air is supplied to the air inlet 32 and discharged through the air outlet 33 through the vacuum pump 31. At this time, the air in the adhesive pad 20 is drawn into the vacuum pump 31 through the through hole 19, the connecting hole 22, and the through hole 34 by the high-speed compressed air, and the compressed air Is discharged to the outside. In this process, a vacuum is formed in the vacuum pump 31, and a negative pressure is formed in the adhesive pad 20.

When the vacuum and the negative pressure of the level required for object transfer are reached, the compressed air is supplied to the inlet port 14 to pressurize the head surface of the piston 13. Then, while the piston 13 flows downward and presses the ball part 21 of the ball joint 18, the strong friction force generate | occur | produces between the piston 13 and the ball joint 18. FIG. This frictional force is used to suppress any rotation of the pad portion 12 during object transfer.

In Fig. 3, reference numeral 38 denotes a pin installed between the piston 13 and the cover 17 to prevent rotation of the piston 13, and there is a slight play between the pin 38 and the piston 13 so that the piston ( 13) flow is not disturbed.

Reference numeral 39 denotes a conventional shock absorber mounted vertically to the cover 17 to absorb shocks that may be applied to conveying the object, and reference numeral 40 connects the pad device 30 to a transfer device such as a robot arm. It is a bracket, and 41 is a silencer mounted on the air discharge port 33 side of the vacuum pump 31. However, these

parts

38, 39, 40, and 41 do not constitute the components of the pad device 30 of the present invention.

Claims

A housing including an inlet port and an outlet port formed at an upside down position on a side wall, a mounting hole formed at a lower side thereof, and a sealing cover provided at an upper side thereof;

A ball joint having a through hole formed in a longitudinal direction, and an adhesive pad coupled to an end of the ball joint, wherein the ball portion of the ball joint is mounted in the lower mounting hole of the housing to be rotatably coupled;

A piston including a connection hole formed to communicate the discharge port and the through hole, the piston being disposed in close contact with the inner wall of the housing and controlling the rotation of the ball joint by flowing by the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the inlet port;

Vacuum pad device comprising a.
The method of claim 1, wherein the vacuum pad device:

One side is an air inlet and the other side is an air outlet, a rotationally symmetric type air pump having a through-hole communicating with the external space on the surface, forming an installation hole opposite the discharge port, the air outlet side and air in the discharge port and the installation hole It is mounted to the housing in such a way that each inlet side is fitted, wherein the through hole of the vacuum pump is to communicate with the connecting hole of the piston;

Vacuum pad device, characterized in that it further comprises.
The method according to claim 1 or 2,

The mounting hole is a vacuum pad device, characterized in that it has a round surface that can be in surface contact with the ball portion of the ball joint.
The method according to claim 1 or 2,

And the piston flows by the pressure of the compressed air supplied to the inlet port to pressurize the ball part of the ball joint, thereby controlling the rotation of the ball joint.
The method of claim 4

The piston has a vacuum pad device, characterized in that it has a round groove that can be in surface contact with the ball portion of the ball joint.
The method according to claim 1 or 2,

A pin is installed between the piston and the cover to prevent the rotation of the piston, there is a slight gap between the pin and the piston vacuum pad device, characterized in that the flow of the piston is not disturbed.